According to a recent study published in the journal Climate Change, global food production costs are on a course to increase by as much as 40 percent because of environmental factors triggered by global warming.

Recent droughts in the U.S. drove home the severity of climate change’s impact on our food supply. Colony Collapse Disorder’s blow to worldwide bee populations that perform billions of dollars a year in free pollination has farmers on high alert. But all that may just be the tip of the iceberg according to the study.

The study researchers estimate that food production around the planet could drop by 0.5 percent by the end of the decade, and by mid-century, drop more than 2 percent from current production levels.

Prices on some of the most vital staples including grains and sugar could rise by 40 percent, fruits and vegetables could rise 30 percent, and rice could increase 20 percent.

“Future climate change is likely to modify regional water endowments and soil moisture. As a consequence, the distribution of harvested land will change, modifying production and international trade patterns,” the study authors wrote. “Higher food prices are expected.”

Among the factors considered in making the predictions, the researches looked at changes that impact food production and anticipated changes as the planet continues to heat up. The researchers looked at changes in global temperatures, carbon dioxide levels, river flow patterns, changes in weather patterns—particularly precipitation levels—and changes in land areas.

“Often the impacts of climate on food and water are treated separately, but really the interaction is very important as agriculture is one of the dominant consumers of freshwater,” Dr. Andy Wiltshire, the study’s co-author, told Carbon Brief.

]]>11 Ways to Reduce Your Food Costshttp://www.organicauthority.com/sanctuary/11-ways-to-reduce-food-costs.html
Mon, 30 Jul 2012 03:34:51 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/s2-sanctuary/c5-sanctuary/11-ways-to-reduce-food-costs/There’s a myth that eating healthy is not economical. But eating smart and healthy can be one in the same. Being a bit frugal can help us to make more conscious choices, not just for our health, but for the health of our planet, too. Plus, droughts throughout the Midwest and California could cause food […]

There’s a myth that eating healthy is not economical. But eating smart and healthy can be one in the same. Being a bit frugal can help us to make more conscious choices, not just for our health, but for the health of our planet, too. Plus, droughts throughout the Midwest and California could cause food prices to rise as much as 4 percent over the next year, according to the USDA. The agency just added 76 counties in six states to its list of ‘drought emergencies,’ bringing the total to 1,369 counties in 31 states. If ever there were a time to reduce our food costs, now would seem to be that time.

And let’s face it, clipping coupons is of little use for most reasonably healthy food items. Try out these money saving tips to reduce your food expenses instead.

1. Plan ahead: Giving yourself a food schedule of sorts helps to make the most out of every purchase. It’s easy to wander around a supermarket in a daze, dropping items into the basket. And that adds up, fast. Know exactly what you need and stick to your list.

2. Buy ingredients, not meals: Whole foods go a lot farther than designated items. You can do much more with tomatoes than you can with a jar of pasta sauce. And ingredients typically cost less than those specialty processed items in the long run.

3. Pre-cook: You’re less likely to come home from a long day and order takeout if there are healthy, simple and inexpensive ingredients just a few minutes away from being a tasty meal. Make big batches of beans and grains like rice or quinoa ahead of time. Store them in the fridge for the week. You can even steam veggies ahead of time to decrease their cooking time.

4. Buy bulk: Can’t finish a 25-pound bag of rice on your own anytime soon? See if a friend will split it with you. Buying in bulk reduces your costs significantly and can help ensure you always have healthy ingredients around.

6. Grow it: The best food is actually free; because it’s the stuff you grow yourself! Containers can provide ample bounty if you’re an urban dweller, too. Grow the more expensive items if you can: fruits, tomatoes, peppers, squash, etc.

7. Buy direct: From farmer CSA programs to buy-the-case options, sometimes you can save a bundle buying directly from the supplier rather than the supermarket.

8. Join a co-op: Food co-ops offer members discount programs that can help reduce your costs on all sorts of items including household goods.

9. Make your own: We spend billions on items like cereal, candy bars, single-serve drinks and bags of chips. You can make many of these items yourself (healthier, too) and save cash to boot.

10. Decrease your waste: On average, we throw out more than 25 percent of the food we buy! That’s a tragedy for many reasons including wasteful management of our bank accounts. Keep an inventory of what you have that’s about to turn bad. Most fresh fruits and vegetables can be frozen or quickly used to avoid waste.

11. Share: Potluck dinners can cut your cost and are a great way to connect with your community. You can learn new recipes and make new friends, too!

]]>Eating Healthy is Better for Your Bank Account, Too, As It Turns Outhttp://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/eating-healthy-cheaper-than-junk-foo/
Fri, 18 May 2012 07:00:10 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/?p=10982The USDA recently released an agency-conducted study comparing the costs of healthy food versus processed junk foods high in fat, sugar and salt, and found that despite the myth that healthy foods typically cost more, they actually do not. Among the study’s findings, the agency was quick to cast doubt on a well-publicized 2010 University […]

The USDA recently released an agency-conducted study comparing the costs of healthy food versus processed junk foods high in fat, sugar and salt, and found that despite the myth that healthy foods typically cost more, they actually do not.

Among the study’s findings, the agency was quick to cast doubt on a well-publicized 2010 University of Washington report that found junk food to be more cost effective than healthy foods, especially for low income families, which measured strictly on a caloric gain and not on overall nutritional value and the benefits of eating healthier foods even if lower in calories than the junk food.

According to the agency, how consumers measure the price makes all the difference. If thinking strictly in terms of calories, then the higher caloric value of dense sweets and high fat junk foods would often be the bargain for the price, but comparing cost of food by weight or portion size puts fruits, vegetables, whole grains and even dairy products as the bargain meal when compared with processed foods. Consistently per serving, healthy foods like carrots, beans, lettuce and bananas were cheaper than French fries, sodas and ice cream, and as they offer superior nutritional benefits, the agency says it needs to become an easy choice for Americans, especially in light of the nation’s obesity epidemic.

And the agency suggests that measuring by calorie is not a smart move, either. Foods high in calories like donuts or pastries can leave you feeling hungry, but a high fiber piece of fruit or whole grain bread may make you feel fuller longer, and without the negative effects of too much sugar or trans fats.

]]>Hey, Wal Mart: Why Don’t You RAISE Your Food Prices Instead of Lowering Them $1 Billion?http://www.organicauthority.com/foodie-buzz/hey-wal-mart-raise-your-food-prices-instead-of-lowering-them-1-billion.html
Mon, 09 Apr 2012 06:10:28 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/s1-foodie-buzz/c4-foodie-buzz/hey-wal-mart-raise-your-food-prices-instead-of-lowering-them-1-billion/In efforts to boost sales in all aisles, Wal-Mart has announced it will lower the price on its food selections by $1 billion to entice more overall spending from customers. Being the largest retailer in the U.S. with more than $145 billion just in grocery sales last year, the chain can afford to drop its […]

In efforts to boost sales in all aisles, Wal-Mart has announced it will lower the price on its food selections by $1 billion to entice more overall spending from customers. Being the largest retailer in the U.S. with more than $145 billion just in grocery sales last year, the chain can afford to drop its margins in hopes of rebounding in other profit areas, but other retailers will be hard-pressed to follow suit. Moreover, the decision shows just how displaced the real cost of our food actually is. In fact, what’s the best thing Wal-Mart could do for their customers? The chain should consider raising its food prices, not lowering them.

Americans spend less on food now than at any other time in recent history. According to the USDA, in 2010 we spent 9.4 percent of our disposable income on food. In 1929, just as the Great Depression was underway, we spent more than 23 percent. We spend far less than many countries around the world as well: Germany (11.4%), France (13.6%), Italy (14.4%), South Africa (20.1%), Mexico (24.1%), Turkey (24.5%), Kenya (45.9%) and Pakistan (45.6%).

According to Dr. Mercola, osteopath and founder of the hugely popular health-focused website Mercola.com, “The current wholesale, inflation-adjusted price of milk in the U.S., as one example, is about half the price it was 25 years ago, and about one-third the price it was 50 years ago.” How can this be? We’re paying less for milk now than we did 50 years ago? In his book Force of Nature: The Unlikely Story of Wal-Mart’s Green Revolution, Edward Humes writes that the “well-intended regulations, essentially unchanged since before the Great Depression, have left the industry locked into century-old technology and addicted to a hodgepodge of subsidies that keep dairy farmers on life support while stifling innovation.”

Subsidies are pervasive in our food system, deflecting the real cost of food onto taxpayers. In other words, the money our government spends to keep food prices low could go to a number of other areas including health care, feeding the hungry, or routing that money back into our pockets to spend as we choose.

While the price of grains continues to rise around the world, our government has given nearly $80 billion in subsides just to our corn farmers since 1995. Corn is pervasive in our food supply, from feeding the animals we end up eating to the processed foods (like the ones that dominate the shelves at Wal-Mart) that contain high fructose corn syrup, vegetable oil and flavor enhancers and preservatives derived from corn to producing the ethanol that fuels the trucks that deliver our corn-food to the local Wal-Mart.

What may seem like a much-needed discount as our nation still struggles to release the grips of the slow-passing recession, the low price of food costs us in other ways. And that’s not to say that there aren’t healthy foods available at Wal-Mart. There are probably a few—the retailer does purchase more organic food than any other retailer in the country. But the majority of what fills their shelves is the result of heavily subsidized and processed genetically modified crops (corn, soy, canola and cotton), and the resulting degenerative diseases that have paralleled the rise in these foods is costing us billions in health care. Discovery.com reports that obesity-related illnesses alone will amount to more than 20 percent of our healthcare expenses before this decade ends if we continue on our current path. That’s not even taking into consideration the health care costs and lives lost to other diet-related illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure.

In his book The Wal-Mart Effect, Charles Fishman writes, “more than ever, we have lost track of the places where the products come from, the factories where they are made, the people who make them.” Even though Wal-Mart has taken huge leaps in sustainability efforts, the fact still remains that many of the items the chain carries are produced in egregious conditions in factories or farms around the world that would be illegal here in the U.S.

No, we definitely don’t need cheaper processed food on Wal-Mart shelves. In fact, if Wal-Mart were to raise its prices to reflect what that bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos really cost to produce, it’s just possible that Americans wouldn’t be so quick to toss it into their shopping carts without really thinking about where it comes from and just exactly why that thought process matters for their own health, the health of our farming system, and the health of our economy.